Maguire's Bitteroot
Lewisia maguirei
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G2
State (S-rank): S1
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Lewisia maguirei is a rare plant previously thought to occur only within Nevada, but which has recently been identified from Millard County, Utah. This perennial herb is found on high-elevation slopes with gravelly, limestone substrates. This species has long been recognized as a species of conservation concern, including by the USFWS, but has not been listed as threatened or endangered due to a lack of sufficient data on threats and vulnerability.
Phenology
L. maguirei grows perennially and flowers in June and early July.
Diagnostic characteristics
L. maguirei can look similar to L. rediviva, but is distinguished by a number of features including inflorescence and leaves. L. maguirei inflorescence consists of 2 or 3 flowers, as opposed to 1 like L. rediviva, and each bract subtended by oval bracts, as opposed to narrowly lanceolate bracts. Each flower has 3-4 pink sepals (turning tan with age) and 7-9 white petals, whereas L. rediviva has more - 6-9 pink sepals and 10-20 white petals. The leaves on L. maguirei are present when the plant is blooming, succulent, and 3-6 mm wide, as opposed to falling off before flowering on L. rediviva
Species range
This species is known from 12-13 sites across a range of several thousand square kilometers. When first identified, L. maguirei was known only from a single mountain range in eastern Nye County, Nevada. Additional populations have been identified since 2020 in three other Nevada counties, as well as Millard County in Utah, representing a significantly wider range than previously understood. The recent observations in Utah are situated in close proximity to each other, in the hilly desert west of the Wah Wah mountain range.
Habitat
L. maguirei occurs among pinyon, juniper, and sagebrush, and is frequently found in loose gravelly substrates/scree derived from carbonate rocks such as limestone. This plant is often found on south facing slopes and ridges, and usually occurs at elevations of 2,240-2,524 m. This represents a relatively narrow elevational amplitude, indicating a strong preference/specialization for this montane endemic.
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies